The Flemish Ardennes are expanding their recreational offerings with off-road wheelchairs, adapted bicycles, and accessible water recreation. This makes the hilly landscape more accessible to people with physical disabilities and other visitors with reduced mobility.
New offerings for walking, cycling, and water recreation
Tourism East Flanders and regional partners have developed a new accessible recreational offering in the Flemish Ardennes. The project consists of four off-road routes for adapted wheelchairs, three cycling routes for adapted bicycles and tandem bikes, and two locations with electric SUPs.
According to the initiators, accessibility, comfort, and safety were taken into account during the development of the routes and activities. Visitors can reserve the necessary aids.
Challenging landscape formed a barrier
The Flemish Ardennes attract visitors with its forests, elevation changes, and recreational routes. It is precisely these features that often make a visit complicated for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.
With adapted means of transport, the region is also trying to make more difficult terrain accessible. The offer is aimed not only at people with a permanent physical disability, but also at seniors, temporarily less mobile visitors, and families who want to go out together.
Inclusive tourism requires reliable information
For destinations, the mere presence of an adapted product is not sufficient. Visitors want to know in advance what a route looks like, which aid is available, and how they can reserve it.
Practical information regarding the routes and materials is therefore compiled on the Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen website. For information on accessible accommodation, attractions, and activities throughout Flanders, the organization refers to the Toerisme Vlaanderen accessibility search tool.
For recreation entrepreneurs and tourism organizations, the project also offers starting points for incorporating accessibility more broadly into the visitor journey. In addition to the activity itself, this concerns parking, sanitary facilities, catering, route information, and on-site support.
More information
Source and more information: Tourism Flanders